Apparatus for and method of flowing wells



June 3, 1930; H. P. PORTER APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF FLOWLNG WELLS Filed-Aug. 2a, 192! s Sheets-Sheef 1 Julie 1930- I H. P. PORTER. 1,761,363

I APPARATUS FoR' 'AND METHOD OF FLOWING WELLS v jil ed Aug. 26, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 2 gmhtoa June 3, 1930. H. P. PORTER APPARATUS FOR AND METHO D OF FLOWING WELLS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 3, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE hours 2. Portrait, or TULSA, oxmnoma, ASSIGNOR 'ro ens? on. consent, or

TULSA, OKLAHOMA, A CORPORATION or OKLAHOMA h APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF FLOWING WELLS Application filed August 26, 1927. Serial No. 215,677.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for and method of flowing wells.

More particularly the invention relates to apparatus adapted to effect the injection of compressed air or gas, or other elastic work? ing fluid, into a column of liquid, such as oil, or water, in the well, for the purpose of raising or flowing the column of liquid to or above the ground surface.

The primary object of .the invention is to provide means for injecting the working vfluid into the column of liquid in suchwise that a high column of liquid'in a deep well may be flowed without an excessive pressure of the working fluid for the purpose of starting the well. A Well which cannot be flowed from the bottom with the ordinary pressure can be flowed with the present device without difliculty, and as a result the quantity of liquid flowed from the wellwill be greater.

More specifically, the present invention contemplates an apparatus wherein a tubular member arranged in spaced relation within the well casing and extendin to the bottom thereof is adapted to be uti ized for initially flowing liquid from the upper portion of the well after which it is utilized for the purpose of deliverin fluid to the bottom 0 the well for the purpose of flowing liquid, at that point, upwardly through the annular space between the two members. In other words, there are two tubular members arranged one within the other through one of which oil from the upper portion of the well is flowed and through the other of which oil from the bottom of the well is subsequently flowed.

With these and other objects in View, the present invention consists in certain novel details of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure '1 is a more or less diagrammatical illustration of the apparatus for flowing a well in accordance With the present invention, the arrows in this instance illustrating the the elastic working injection of the working fluid into the upper portion of the column of liquid in the well.

Fig. 2 is a similar View with the arr'owsindicating the injection of the working fluid into the column of liquid at its lower point.

This may be termed the second stage in'the present method of flowing.

Fig. 3 is a similar iew of the arrowsiudieating the final stage or that in which the working fluid is delivered to the column of liquid at the bottom of the well. I

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical illustration of,

a modified arrangement of the apparatus'for carrying out the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view, showing iii -fifif detail the valve member used in the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 3.

Fig. 6 is a similar viewof the valve used in the apparatus shown in Fig. 4.

In the form of. apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the two tubular members consist of the well casing 25- within which is arranged a tube 26, this last mentioned tube extending laterally to the bottom of the well casing at which point it. carries a foot piece 30. This foot piece is provided with means for communicating with the endless space between it and casing 25, such means of communication consisting of a series of ports 29 and a series of longitudinally extending slots 29. For purposes, which will later appear,

a pipe 27,, whoselower end is formed with a plurality of perforations 28, is located within tube 26, and at a suitable point between the perforated end of pipe 27 and the perforated end of tube 26 said tube is provided with a valve member 1 which will hereinafter be more fully described and the purpose of which will be more fully set forth.

At a point above the surface of the ground, casing 25 is connected to casing head 24 and said casing head carries a tubing support 23 through which the upper end of tube 26 pro jects. At its upper end tube 26-isconnected ton Y connection 22' one branch of which carries a support 21 forthe perforated pipe 27, the upper end of said pipe 27 projecting through support 21; the Y connection 22 and the casing head 24, are each connected to a source of supply of a'working fluid under 1 pressure. As illustrated more or less diagrammaticallyin the figures each of these partsis connected by pipes 12, 13, 14, to pipe 10 which, in turn, is connected to pipe 11, this latter pipe leading to the source of supply of the working fluid. In the pipes 12,

13, 14 there are provided valves 16, 17, 18,

' for the purpose of turning on or cutting ofl the supply of the working fluid to the casing tube 26, or pipe 27, respectively, and at the upper end of pipe there is a pressure gage I v 0 suitable place of storage for the fluid flowing from the well, said pipe 19 having a control valve 19therein whereby the same may be opened or closed.

When it is desired to begin the flowing of 5 a well in which there is a high column of liquid such as oil or water, valves 16, 17, in pipes 12 and 13, are closed and valve 18, in pipe 14, is opened. At the same time outlet valve in outlet pipe 20 is closed while outlet valve 19 in pipe 19 is opened. With the parts arranged in this fashion, the working fluid from pipe 11 will flow through pipes 10 and 14 to pipe 27 within the inner tube and it will escape through the perforations 28 in the lower end of said pipe 27. This working fluid which may be either air or gas is under comparatively high pressure and upon being introduced into the column of liquid at the lower end of pipe 27 such liquid will be aero ated or lightened with the result that it will be lifted up through tube 26 and will flow through outlet pipe 19. The pressure gage 15 will indicate when the well has pumped sufiicient fluid to reduce the static head as said gage will gradually fall; It is advisableto continue to flowfrom this upper portion of the lift of the well for a comparatively long period of time antil one is satisfied that the load at the upperend of the well has been decreased to. ampoint where it is desired to change the m e of operation to raise the liquid from the next lower portion of the well. Whentthis change is made the several arts are adjusted as shown inFig. 2. In

valves 17 and 18 in pipes-13 and 14 are closed and valve 16 in pipe 12 opened. Valve. 20" is closed and valve 19 opened as in Fig. 1. Un-' der these circumstances the working fluid is delivered into the annular space between well so casing 25 in tube 26 down which it will flow as indicatedby the arrows in Fig. 2 at the point atjwhich tube 26 is provided with the valve member 1. This valve member, as illustrated more fullyin Fig. 5, consists of a body portion 1' threaded at its opposite ends so as to be readily coupled to adjacent sections of tube At its central portion the wall of the body is somewhat heavier and at this point there are a plurality of ports 3 communicating with an opening in a plug 4 which forms a seat for a valve 5 which is held against its seat by a spring 6 interposed between said valve and the inner end of the recess 7 in which said lug 4- is threaded, and in which said valve 5 is adapted to slide. In some instances, spring 6 may be eliminated, for instance, under those circumstances, where the valve would be moved against its seat by gravity. Ports 3 merge into the opening through the valve body at the throat portion 2 and the number of such ports 3 depend upon the diameter of said body. For instance, for two-inch tubing the valve body would have two ports; for two and one-half inch tubing there would be three ports and for three-inch tubing four ports would be used. This valve is placed in tube 26 so that it will be positioned at a point in a column of liquid in the well some distance below the lower perforated end of pipe 27, the liquid between said valve and lower end of pipe 27 constituting what might be termed the second lift in the flowing operation. With the use of the valve just described, when the working fluid is delivered through pipe 12 to the space between casing 25 and tube 26, as mentioned in connection with Fig. 2, the pressure on such fluid will cause valve 5 to be un-- seated with the result that the liquid in the intermediate portion of the well will be caused to flow upwardly through the tube 26 as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. This outflowing liquid will be delivered to the proper place of storage through pipe 19 asin the case of Fig. 1.

After this second lift or intermediate portion of liquid in the well has been flowed, the

positions of the several valves are again.

changed to effect a flow such as indicated in ig. 3. In this instance, the valves 16 and 18 1n pipes 13 and 14 are closed and valve 17 in pipe 13 opened. At the same time valve 19 in outlet pipe 19 is closed and valve 20 in outlet pipe 20 opened. With the parts thus set, working fluid will be delivered through pipes '11, IQ and 13 to tube 26 through which it will pass downwardly to the bottom of the well at which point it will be discharged through ports 29 in foot piece 30. It will be understood that under these circumstances valve 5 in valve body 1 will be seated so that the only escape for the working fluid is through ports 29 at the bottom of the well. In this way, the liquid at the bottom of the well is thoroughly aerated and lightened in weight with the result that such liquid will flow upwardly through the annular space between tube 26 and casing 25 and thence through the outlet pipe '20. In this connection it might 'be mentioned that slots 29 are provided in foot piece 30 for the purpose of admitting liquid in the well to the tube 26 when said tube is projected into the well opening.

With the arrangement thus described and the method set forth it is possible to flow a deep well which has liquid standing high therein without an excessive gas or air ressure to get the well started. A well w liich cannot be flowed from the bottom with ordinary pressures can be flowed with the use of the present invention without difliculty and as a result the quantity of liquid flowed from the well will be much greater.

In its broadest aspect, the present invention might be said to consist in providing anarrangement for flowing wells wherein there are two tubular members, one arranged within the other and through one of WlllCh liquid from the upper portions of the well is initially flowed while liquid from the lower portions of the well is flowed through the other member. This general statement is not only applicable to the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 3, and just described, but it is also true of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4, al-

though this latter arrangement is somewhat d fl'erent in its specific construction and mode of operation.

In this modified arrangement, the pipes for the supply of working fluid to the perforated pipe 27 in the well, as well astube 26, and well casing 25, are the same as in Figs. 1 to 3. Likewise, the outlet connections for liquid flowing from the well, the valves for said outlet connections, and the valves for controlling the delivery of working fluid through pipes 12, 13 and 14 are the same.

The differences in the two constructions consist in the construction of the valve member '1 and the foot piece 30 at the lower end of tube 26. In the valve member 1, valve 5 is adapted to be opened, by pressure, from the i is providedbetween the interior of foot piece 30 and the interior of tube 26,.

With this arrangement working fluid is first delivered through pipe 14 to pipe'27' from which it"es'capes through the apertures 28 to elevateor flow liquid from the extreme upper portion of the well outwardly through outlet pipe 19, the valve 19 in said pipe being open. After this lift has been flowed, as described in connection with the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 3, valve 18, in pipe 14,. is'

closed and valv17, in pipe 13, opened.

. Outlet valve 19 is also closed and outlet valve in pipe 20 opened. The working fluid will then flow through pipe 13 throug tube 26 from which it will escape through the ports 3 invalve body 1 with the result that liquid in the space between tube 26 and valve casing 25 will be flowed upwardly and out through outlet pipe 20. After this intermediate portion of the column has been flowed valve 17 is closed and valve 16 opened inthe fluid supply pipes 13 and 12, respectively, and valve 20 in outlet pipe 20 closed, while valve 19, in pipe 19, opened. The working fluid will then be supplied through pipe 16 to the-space between casing 25 and tube 26 and will flow downwardly through said space until it gains entrance through the foot piece 30 through orifices 31. The extreme lower end of tube 26 being open, the working fluid, under pressure, entering orifices 31, will lighten the liquid in the bottom of the tube when it enters through passages 29 with theresult that the liquid in the bottom portion of the well will flow upwardly through tube 26 and be discharged through outlet pipe 19.

The methods carried out with the two forms of apparatus shown herein might be generally described as consisting in flowing oil wells and the like by arranging inner and outer tubular open ended members in the well,

first supplying an elastic working fluid to the inner member near the upper portion thereof, then supplying a second quantity of fluid through one of said members to an intermediate portion of the other member, and finally supplying a third quantity of said fluid through said other member to the bottom of the member through which the second quantity of working fluid was supplied. In the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 3 and 5 the working-fluidis supplied to the upper portion of the tube 26 through pipes 11, 10' and 14. This will start the flow of liquid which con tinues at a satisfactory rate until the average pressure on the gage 15 will be very much less than when the flow first started, thereby indicating that the height of the standing liquid (or in reality the flowing liquid head) has been reduced and the operators judgment will soon be such that he can either determine when it has been reduced to a-degree which will permit the flow to be started from the next lowerstage. At such time the flow of working fluid through pipe 28 will be cutv off and a second quantityof fluid supplied through pipes 11 and 12' to the annular space between tube 26 and casing 25. This will effect a flowing of the intermediate portion of the well by reason of the working fluid passing through valve mem'berl into'the interior of tube 26. When the flowing of'this second stage has progressed to the desired' extent valve 16 is closed and a third quantity of working fluid supplied through pipes 10 and 13 to a tube 26 through which it travels to the bottom of the well to initiate flowing of the last stage. In the form of apparatus ill shown in Figs. 4 and 6 the same method is carried out except that in flowin the second stage the working fluid is supplied through tube 26 and valve 5 so as to enter the intermediate portion of the end of the space between tube 26 and casing 25. In flowing the final stage with the apparatus shown in Figs. 4 and 6 the workingfluid issupplied through casing 25 to the bottom or lower end of tube 26.

In both forms of apparatus the valve'or valves in valve member 1 should fit rather loosely and spring 6 should be just strong enough to insure the valve being returned to its seat. The air gas ports or the working Q fluid ports 28, 3, and 29, are varied to accommodate the volume desired to be handled. The purpose is to direct the working fluid into the liquid into small streams and to prevent opposing currents of working fluid with liquid, the spacing may be from a fraction of an inch to several inches apart. The sizes can be from a pin hole to an inch in diameter, but the finer the better, provided the holes do not clog up and provided the holes are such as to furnish a combined area sufiicient to equal the area of an orifice which will permit. the passage of a predetermined volume of gas with a differential pressure which will give the pressure control desired. It is desirable to have an engineer make the application to suit the conditions that exist on each 'the valves, but in addition to the gage the sound of the flowing fluids also te'llswhen the liquid head has flowed ofl'.

What is claimed is:

1. In a well flowing apparatus a casing having a tube extending down into the same, means for supplying an elastic working fluid to said tube at successively lower points in the well to flow liquid through said tube,

' means for rendering the first mentioned supply means inoperative, means for supplying said fluid to the casing at a point adjacent the lowerend thereof to flow liquid through said casing, and a discharge connection for said tube and easing respectivelv.

2. In a well flowing apparatus, a-cas'ing, a tube therein open at its lower end adjacent the bottom of the well, means for supplying elastic working fluid to the interior ofthe tubeat successively lower points in the well whereby liquid will flow from upper portions of the well through said tube, means for outting-off said supply, and means for supplying working fluid through said tube to the bottom zone of the interior of the casing to flow liquid through said casing.

3. In an apparatus for flowing wells, the

. member.

4. In an apparatus for flowing wells, the combination of two concentrically arranged tubular members adapted to extend to the bottom of the well, the inner member being open at its lower end, means for supplying an elastic working fluid to the interior of one of said members for initially flowing liquid from the upper portion of the well through said member, and means for supplying said fluid to the lower portion of the other member for flowing liquid from the bottom of the well through said other member.

.5. In an apparatus for flowing wells, the combination of two tubular members adapted to extend to the bottom of the well, one of said members being arranged in spaced relation within the other and the inner member being open at its lower end, means for supplying an elastic working fluid. to the interior of the inner member at successively lower points in said member to initially flow liquid from upper portions of the well, and means for supplying working fluid to the other member at a point near the bottom of the well to flow liquid therefrom through said member.

6. In a Well flowing apparatus, the combination of two tubular members adapted to extend to a point adjacent the bottom of the well, one of said members being arranged within the other but spaced therefrom to form an annular space, the inner member being open near its lower end, a pipe extending into the inner member, means for supplying an elastic Working fluid through said pipe to the upper portion of said inner memberto flow liquid through the inner member from the upper portion of the well, means for supplying working fluid to the inner member at a point below the first mentioned point to continue the flow of liquid through said inner member, means for cutting oflf the supply of working fluid to said inner member, and connections for supplying working fluid through said inner member to the annular space between the same and the outer member at a point adjacent the bottom of the well to flow liquid through said outer member.

7. In an apparatus for-flowing wells, the combination of inner and outer tubular members adapted to extend tothe bottom of the 3 well, the inner member beingopen adjacent its lower end, a pipe within the inner member,

point in the upper portion of the well, a one- 3 way valve in said inner member at a point intermediate its open lower end and a point to Which working fluid is supplied through said pipe, means for supplying working fluid .the casing, means for supplying an elastic working fluid to the interior of said tube at a point below the initial liquid level in said well, means for supplying said fluid through the space between said tube and casing and to the interior of said tube at a predetermined lower level in the well, and means for supplying fluid through said tube to the casing at a still lower level in the well.

9. In an apparatus for flowing Wells, the combination of'a casing, a tube extending into proximity to the lower end of said casing, an elastic working fluid supply pipe extending into said tube, a source of working fluid, means for establishing communication between said casing, tube and pipe respectively and said source of supply, liquid outlets for said casing and tube, means for permitting fluid supplied said casing to enter said tube at a point below the lower endof said pipe when the pressure on the exterior of said pipe exceeds that upon the interior thereof, and means at the lower ends of said pipe and tube for discharging fluid therefrom tothe tube and easing respectively.

10. In an apparatus for flowing wells, the combination of a casing, a tube extending into the casing, means for supplyingan elastic working fluid to the interior of the tube at a point in the upper portion thereof, means for supplying flu d to said tube at a lower point, means for supplying fluid through said tube to the lower portion of said casing, and

i a liquid outlet for both said tube and casing.

11. In an apparatus for flowing wells, the combination of a casing, a tube extending into the casing, means for supplying an elastic working fluid to the interior of the tube at a point in the upper portion thereof, means for supplying fluid through the casing to the interior of said tube at a lower point, means for supplying fluid through the tube to the lower portion of the casing, and a liquid outlet for both said tube and casing.

12. The method of flowing wells which consists in arranging a pair of tubular open ended members in the well with one of said members arranged within the other but in spaced relation thereto, supplying an elastic working fluid to the inner member at successively lower points in the well to flow oil from the upper portions of said well, then cutting off said supply of working fluid, and

then supplying said working fluid through the inner member to the interior of the outer member at a point near the bottom thereof and flowing liquid from the bottom of the well through said outer member. I

13. The method of flowing wells which consists in arranging two tubular members within the well with one of said members arranged in spaced relation within the other, said inner member beingiopen at its lower end, supplying an elastic vworking fluid to the inner member at a point comparatively near the surface of the ground to flow liquid from the upper-=;,portion of the well through said inner member, cutting ofl said supply of working fluid, then supplying working fluid through the outer member .to the inner member at a point lower in the well to flow liquid from said lower point through said inner member, cutting ofl said supply of working fluid and then supplying working fluid through said inner member to the outer member at'a point near the bottom of the well to flow liquid from the bottom of the well through said outer member.

14. The method of flowing oil wells and the like which consists in initially flowing oil I in the upper portion of the well through an eduction pipe and then supplying a working fluid under pressure through said eduction pipe to the. lower portion of a casing to flow oil from the bottom portion of the well through said casing.

15. The method of flowing oil wells and the like which consists in arranging inner and outer tubular open ended members in the well, supplying an elastic working fluid to the inner member, then supplying said fluid through one of said members to an intermediate portion of the other member and then supplying said fluid through said other member to the bottom of the member through which the second portion of fluid was supplied.

16. In an apparatus for flowing wells, the combination of inner and outer tubular members adapted to extend into a well, means for supplying an elastic working fluid to said inner member, means for supplying a second quantity of working fluid through one said members. HOLLIS P. PORTER. 

